Black, White and All Shades of Grey
by Who dunit why I dunit
Summary: Written for the Original Character Boot Camp on HPFF Challenges. Chronologing Riley Harkness life one tiny snap shot at a time.
1. Home

Turning the key in the lock Riley pushed the door open, tired after all the meetings and endless dribble that she had to endure at the Wizengamot trials, because honestly one could only say 'He did it.' And 'Throw him in Azkaban and throw away the key!' so many times before it got repetitive.

And Riley hated repeats.

"Im home!" she called out softly, knowing that if Jack was asleep, he would never get back to bed, and walked in hanging her cloak on the coat hanger and shoving off her boots near the door. Streaching to remove a crink in her back she walked the short foyer to the living/dining room.

And saw a sight that made her heart melt, not that she would ever admit to such a thing, she smiled and walked around to the back of the couch and looked over to see Percy asleep with one leg off the couch and one arm tucked behind his head.

It was rare to see this side of him, because he was always prim and proper.

But the funniest part about it was that his other arm was locked around Jack's tiny body, who was squirming and looking up at her with a "Help me!" look on his face.

She shook her head at her son and leaning over the couch kissed both of them before heading upstairs, she would give Percy some more sleep before she'd wake him up to go to the Weasley's for his birthday dinner tonight.

She never had felt more at home then finally having a home to come to.


	2. Outside

Outside

10 months after May 2nd. March 10th 1999. Remus's birthday party, she's avoiding Remus and Dora due to the awkwardness in the air around them. Riley feels likes she's on the outside looking in.

"Any reason why your hiding out in the kitchen?" Harry asked as Riley jumped around wielding a wooden spoon.

"I'm not hiding Potter, I'm cooking!" She replied evenly pointing at him.

"Cooking what? Invisiable sauce?" Harry asked leaning on the door frame looking at her.

"It's awkward out there, I don't do well with awkward." She said turning around and grabbing some onions and started to dice them.

"You usually look awkward in the eye and tell it to shove off." Harry said coming over and grabbing a batch of carrots to help.

"This is different Harry, and stop that!" Riley smacked him with the wooden spoon grinning as she heard him whimper. "It just doesn't feel right, I've always been on the outside looking in when it comes to familys. Yeah Yan, Jack, and Johnnie are excellent dads, but its just not the same." She sighed grabbing some potatoes and started chopping them.

"These are my birth parents, the same ones who lost me, then gained me back, all grown up." She turned around to look at him. "They'll never see their little baby girl again, I'm all grown up… but what can I do? They wanted their baby girl back, not some adult who just had their grandson! Not to mention the fact that my OLDER brother is now my LITTLE brother!" she sighed. "I just don't want to deal with it right now thanks."

Harry nodded as she turned around. "You going to have to deal with it someday you know." As he walked out of the kitchen he could have sworn she said.

"I know, just not today." In a tired and worn out voice.


	3. Night

Night

7 years before May 2nd. September 1st 1991. Her sorting and meeting with Percy. Riley's planning their wedding at this time. It's nighttime.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you're waiting.

"I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." McGonagall said to them and Riley just sighed, then the proud teacher took her leave.

All around her the children where squiring to look presentable or trying to figure out how they were going to be sorted. But Riley could only think about the red-headed boy on the train, Percy she recalled was quite knowledged in Shakespeare and other various 'Classical' authors.

Which is why the eleven year old girl was currently writing in her journal under the heading of "My Wedding to Percy." Because she knew that one day she would be married to him, she would take no other, because quite honestly, as she looked around the chamber, the others that she was going to school with were bumbling idiots. And she didn't do well around idiots.

But just as she was about to snap at a blond boy who had come way to close for comfort the doors opened and McGonagall ushered them through the doors. Slipping her journal into her pocket and walking forward until the others came to a stop she crossed her arms as an old ratty hat sang out its song.

Afterwards McGonagall came forward again "When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted." And then called out for a Hannah Abbot, who was quickly sorted into Hufflepuff.

Then a Susan Bones was called up and put into Hufflepuff as well.

Riley blinked and twitched her nose. She didn't want to be in that house with them.

When Hermione Granger was called it took a few minutes, and Riley honestly thought the bint was arguing with the Hat! Who argues with a hat? Was she that bloody mad? But then Hermione was sorted into Gryffindor.

Riley wanted to gag; she hoped she wasn't going to be sorted into that ratty house with the crazy chit.

After a few seconds Riley's name was called "Harkness, Avalynn!" and she honestly just wanted the earth to cover her whole. She hated her first name, Avalynn; Avalynn wasn't a hero's name! Riley was! And she would make sure by the time she left this infernal school everyone would know that it was Riley Harkness, not Avalynn!

She walked up to the stool and McGonagall put it neatly upon her head.

"Difficult, very difficult I see." Said the hat and she sighed. This was just another thing she would have to get used to in this world wasn't it? "You have traits of all the houses that you value quite dearly to your heart hmm? You are brave and daring, but you also have the nerve and chivalry of Gryffindor."

Riley huffed; she wasn't brave, far from it. "And you are resourceful and cunning, with the ambition and leadership qualities of Slytherin."

'What ambition?' Riley wished to say, she hated moving about to get further ahead. "Wise beyond your years and yet you have a yearning to know more. Just like a Ravenclaw."

By this time Riley had been sitting on the chair for almost three minutes and could see the stares from the students in front of her and could feel the stares from the teachers behind. "You are loyal, and finish everything you start, just like a Hufflepuff. And you live for fair play, never attacking those weaker then you are. And have patience to wait forever to get what you want."

She would give the hat that; she would wait forever to get Percy Weasley to be hers. "And you are tolerant even of those who would gladly kill you for your views."

The hat seemed to think and Riley had been sitting there for almost 5 minutes now, she could sense the air thickening with anticipation. And could feel McGonagall stir next to her. As if wanted to tell the hat to hurry up, she wouldn't mind that at all, and would welcome it. But the hat seemed to beat her to it.

"Slytherin would just hold you back; their ambitions would only impede you on your quest in life."

What quest she wanted to ask. "Ravenclaw would do the same, they never accept your knowledge of the world and beyond it, they live for what can be proven today, you live for what will be proven tomorrow."

Riley scoffed, of course, only an idiot would do otherwise. "Hufflepuff would just get in your way, always wanting to help, but you are more of an 'I'll do it myself' child."

Riley almost shrugged, why did she need someone else to do what she could, she wasn't THAT lazy. The hat on her head seemed to nod to itself, which was silly, how could a hat nod? "Yes… Gryffindor would be the best, they would stand in your way yes, but that would only serve to challenge you and in challenging you drive you towards your goal… GRYFFINDOR!" The hat screamed out to the Hall, and Riley winced.

She was right there, handing the hat back to McGonagall only a little bit forcible, she tried to get a seat close to her soon to be beloved Percy, but far away from the crazy girl Granger.


	4. Day

Day

7 years before May 2nd. September 1st 1991. The train ride to Hogwarts, meeting Percy on the train. Plans to wed him someday. It's daytime.

"Platform Nine and Three Quarters then I presume?" Riley said looking up at John, who was the only one available to take her that day.

John nodded. "According to your father, this is it, couldn't they make it more? Accessible?"

Riley looked up at him with distaste in her eyes. "John? The International Statute of Secrecy was signed in 1689. Which stated that the Wizarding world would be kept secret from the non-magical world. Thus making this place less accessible except to those who know about it, AKA wizards."

John looked at her. "You've been reading to many of those books." Riley scoffed and pushed her trolley forward.

"Just because YOUR illiterate doesn't mean the rest of the world are as well." She said as she unloaded her cat carrier onto the steps of the train first, and then grabbed her trunk.

Pretending he didn't hear that John walked over to her. "Do you need help?" and got a scathing look in return.

"Not everyone's weak like you." She said grabbing the trunk by the sides and easily lifting it onto the train putting her carrier on top of it and lastly her book bag for entertainment, because she wasn't going an entire day without having something to read or do.

Giving John a quick hug Riley said goodbye and headed up into the train to find a compartment in the front unoccupied, even though there where two trunks in there and putting her carrier and book bag on the seat nearest to the window, facing so she could see the horizon coming to her, and was in the process of lifting the trunk into the overhead compartment space when a redheaded boy who looked to be about fifteen walked in.

She put the trunk down and looked at him. "Is this compartment yours?" she asked, because if it was reserved she didn't want to intrude, she was mean, not rude.

"No, you're welcome to stay here, do you need any help with your trunk?" the mysterious boy asked.

Riley was in the process of saying 'Why no thank you, I mean your only the sixth person to ask today, DO I REALLY LOOK THAT WEAK!?' but instead nodded, he was cute, and if there was one thing her father Jack taught her was that if a cute boy asked to help you, you let him help.

"Thank you." She asked as he helped her lift it up and buckled it in so it wouldn't come undone during the train.

Riley then let her Kneazle, Midnight who was a gift from her dad out of her carrier and stuffed the ratted thing under her seat and sat down with a book on Wizard History, 'One must always know the enemy, if one wants to know themselves' her father had taught her. Though she could have sworn he meant it in a slightly perverted way.

"You have a Kneazle?" the boy asked and held out his hand. "I'm Percy Weasley, Prefect."

Riley stared at him and almost said 'Perfeeeect.' But shook his hand nodding. "Riley Harkness, Unofficial Princess of Cardiff. And yes she's Midnight; daddy got her for me last month, for a going away present." She answered before blinking down at the black fluff ball at her feet. "Whatever a Kneazle is…"

Percy seemed to laugh at this. "You're a Muggle I'm guessing?" he asked.

Riley shrugged. "Don't know, I'm adopted, never knew who my parents where." He blinked.

"I'm-" She blocked him off.

"I don't care really, it was too long ago for me to remember, and I was just a baby. And besides I have the best three fathers a girl could ask for, so I think I got lucky in that aspect." He nodded at this and sank back into the seat closest to the door on her side.

Riley smirked, she liked him, he didn't push, but at the same time he wanted to know about her, and she felt herself thinking the exact same thing, which is why she got out her notebook and started planning their wedding, because if she knew one thing, it was that she wasn't going to let him get away.


	5. You Can't Catch Me

You can't catch me

1 year after May 2nd. May 1st 1999. Being outwitted by a cat is no fun for a canine. Riley learns this the hard way.

"INFERNAL CAT!" Riley roared as the cat darted under the hedge full of thorns, she would never get the cat out at this rate, having already spent nearly twenty minutes to get the cat back inside the safety of the house, she was getting rather irate.

The next time her father asked her to feed his infernal pets she'll just tell him to ask Harry, at least he had the patience of a saint.

"Need help?" Percy asked coming up to her with a can of cat food.

"Thanks love, but I think I'm going to need more then help. This infernal cat is going to be the end of me." Riley sighed as she leaned against a tree watching him put the cat food on the ground.

Percy walked over to her and cocking his head. "Two things, one why are we the ones stuck feeding the animals? And two, why can't we just leave this cat outside with the other one?"

"In order, papa asked me to do it while he's on vacation in Rome for the week, and the cat was just bit by a snake two weeks ago, it's worth over two thousand USD dollars in Muggle terms." She said leaning up against him. "And mama would be upset if her cat got hurt again."

Percy chuckled. "But what's bothering you, not the fact that this is an expensive cat." Riley shook her head.

"No I can afford to do more antidote procedures on this vile creature, but I just don't like being outwitted by a feline… it does nothing for my canine half."

Percy just laughed as the cat darted from under the hedge and up to the doorway looking back at the two humans as if to say 'What you waiting for, I want inside, stoopid hoomans.'

Riley growled and muttered evil things before stomping away to deal with the infernal cat once more.


	6. Evening

Evening

1 year after May 2nd. May 7th 1999. The day before her wedding, Riley panics. But calms down to some sagely advise from her uncooperative son Jack.

The scene was almost perfect; Riley was in her little, okay huge penthouse, going over everything that see needed for the next day. Jack was lounging on a bean bag chair trying to sit up but failing.

"Okay I've paid everyone who needed to be paid, including that jerk hotel manager. 'Why do you two need two rooms? You're getting married tomorrow!' Well ass, maybe I'll only rent one room and let you lose the money." Riley stated shoving her clothes that she would need into her 'honeymoon' rather than the 'hotel' luggage. "Passports are all ready, not that we need them per say, but I'd rather have them, and the songs have all been chosen, and I've talked to Creevey about the picture taking."

She then stood up straight, "But I'm missing something."

"BLAH!" Jack said waving his arms.

"No not you, your outfits already done and waiting for you." She said tapping her finger to her chin. "I've done the schedule in advance, we get there at noon, you play with Teddy while mama here gets dressed in that infernal dress your Grandmas forced me to get, then get married, take pictures and eat, then daddy and I leave you with Grandma Weasley for the month we're gone!" she looked happy.

Jack on the other hand did a scream of horror, he loved his grandma, he just didn't like the fact she hover, and just because he was the first grandkid didn't mean anything!

"Neville's made sure all the flowers are going strong and look beautiful. And Harry's volunteered to take any gifts back home." Jack gave out a squeal and waved his hands in the air, Riley gave one look at him before dismissing him. "No Jack, Harry's busy and can't watch you for the month, be glad I'm giving you to Mrs. Weasley. My other choice was Snape."

Jack quieted down noticeably, and Riley continued on. "I've preordered breakfast because the gods above only know when I'll actually be able to eat! Everything's gone perfectly. Every last detail has been confirmed, my dress is perfect, my rings are perfect, hell the flowers are perfect." She looked down at him. "So why do I feel as if something's wrong?"

She sighed and paced the long expanse of the room. "I've been planning this since the day I met your dad, so why do I feel off?"

Jack just looked at her, as if to say 'I know what it is, but I'm not telling you.' Riley didn't bother with a retort, because honestly how do you argue with a year old? And paced some more.

"Just something doesn't feel right, I mean the quests are all here, and so is the fam…il…y… WE FORGOT MRS. WEASLEY!" Riley said as she rushed to go call Harry or one of her soon to be brother-in-laws to go get here, while Jack cackled in amusement.


	7. Stars

Stars

3 Years before May 2nd. May 5th 1998. Riley talks to McGonagall about her Career Choices, and ends up making Umbridge faint.

Career Advice

All fifth years will be required to attend a short meeting with their Head of House during the first week of the Summer term, in which they will be given the opportunity to discuss their future careers. Times of individual appointments are listed below.

Riley scanned the list and saw her appointment was the last, right after dinner, appointment on the next Friday. She then turned and flopped on the couch almost head-butting Hermione's thigh while doing so. "Great, another hour of my life trying to explain to some simpleton that I have NO aspirations other than getting Percy into my bed and bonded to me for life."

Ron seemingly chocked on his own spit.

"Riley! This is important! What are you going to do for a living? How will you make money? How will you explain to your children that not everyone can lounge about for their lives?!"

"In order. Tying Percy to a bed and having my kinky lust filled way with him. Richest person in school, don't need to work. And a healthy dose of terror and fear." Riley sighed stretching a bit before looking up at her. "I really don't have any real goals in life."

"There must be something you would like to do." Hermione said looking down at the pamphlets in her hands.

Riley silently held her hand out for them, and Hermione gave them to her, allowing her to peruse them for a few seconds.

"I'd be a horrible Healer. You're not dying; it's a little scrape, as the patient is bleeding to death." Riley said looking at the Healer leaflet. "I hate having to do anything that requires Charisma." She said throwing the Muggle Relations pamphlet away.

"I'd love to be a Curse-Breaker, it's almost like an Archeologist, and I love me a tomb." Riley sighed as she threw that one away as well. "But I hate math, and banking is not my style." Then without even looking them over she threw several Ministry leaflets away. "And I hate the Government."

She sighed "I guess I'm going to have to live with Percy supporting me for the rest of my life, not a bad deal in fact, so stop mumbling, I'm trying to nap." She said poking Hermione in the thigh, who simply sighed in dismissal; she knew a lost cause when she saw one.

Friday McGonagall's office.

Riley filed into McGonagall's office after a healthy dinner of nothing more than a cup of Ramen, gratefully provided by her favorite elf Dobby. "Minnie, I'm home!" She sing-songed and winked at the glare she received from her Transfiguration Professor. Without sparing a glance to Umbridge who was sitting in the corner her clipboard close to her face as she scribbled notes, possibly threating to arrest her again, she snorted at this thought as she sat down, the woman was clearly insane and none of her evidence could hold in a court, she'd be free, a few hours of her life taken, but she would defiantly not be arrested. "So Minerva, what am I doing here?" she asked professionally as a fifteen year old could.

"We are going to go over any career ideas you might have, and help decide on which one you will pursue in sixth and seventh years. Have you given any thought about what you would like to do after Hogwarts?" McGonagall asked.

"Tie Percy to a bed and have my kinky lust filled way with him." She said bluntly secretly taking amusement in Umbridge's gagging sound.

"I see?" McGonagall said a bit hesitantly. "Any other normal career choices?"

"Concurring Oz with my Evil Flying Monkeys? Having my Fell Beast ridden Nazgul Ring Wraiths destroy Middle Earth? Having my Warg riding Orcs capture the One Ring and Rule Arda from Mordor?" she ticked off.

McGonagall just gave her a look. "Miss Harkness, please be serious."

"Okay then," Riley sighed "I really have no aspirations for the future Minerva. I don't want to be a healer, politician, or teacher, I hate hospitals because they smell of death, I'd end up offing a student who smart mouthed me, and I just plain hate the government." She crossed her arms. "All I want in life is Percy. Why can't anyone get that, I don't want a job, I don't need a job, and I don't have to have one. I'm perfectly fine with the fact that I will most likely be sitting around at home traumatizing my children all day, every day. If I'm happy, what should it matter that I have a job?" she asked.

McGonagall sighed. "It shouldn't, but Miss Harkness; this is your career advice session. My job here is to help you decide a career." Riley blinked.

"Then give me some ideas."

"Unspeakable or Wandmaker?"

"Not the patience to work neither with idiots nor for the decades it takes to be a wandmaker."

"You would do well as a Potioneer."

"Already do that, it's a hobby, not a career. I'd hate to spend every day in front of a cauldron for idiots who won't appreciate my craft."

McGonagall leaned back closing her eyes for a few seconds, as if to think. "You enjoy languages do you not?"

"Yes…"

"What about an interpreter? Or Translator."

"Not my cup of tea."

"Historian?"

Riley laughed. "Nobody would believe my side of events."

"Why not?"

She gave her a look. "If the Weasley's wouldn't believe me about their father, why would everyone else believe me, even if it's the truth? It's kind of like Umbridge back there. She knows Voldemorts back, you know, I know, but she's pretending to not know so that everyone who lives and breathes Ministry of Magic believes her."

"I don't know-" Umbridge started before Riley turned around and snapped at her.

"Listen Umbitch, I wasn't talking to you, so follow your stupid little Regulation that states you're not allowed to talk about anything other defense and let me talk to MY Head of House about MY career." She then turned around when Umbridge flushed red and started scribbling on her clipboard.

"No Historian, I don't like it at all."

"What about Alchemy?"

"Alchemy sucks; it's just another version of Potions." Riley sighed. "I really have no aspirations for life. Can't we just say my career is to be a house-husband and mother?"

"Husband?" McGonagall asked seemingly intrigued.

"You have not seen Percy and I… he's the wife, I'm the husband." She stood up. "If there's anything else?"

McGonagall shook her head. "Have a good night."

"You too Minnie. See you for detention tomorrow Umbitch!" Riley cackled and left.


	8. Incense

"What are you doing?" Percy asked as he walked into their home after work to find his wife crushing petals with rocks while their two children watched Alien. "And should they be watching that?"

"In order. Making my own essential oils, and sure they should. Melody has honestly seen worse." Riley said funneling the oil into a bottle which she then labeled 'Lotas and O. Rind' before standing up and dragging him down for a kiss.

Her hands were greasy and a streak of the oil was straight across her right cheek, as if she had brushed her hair back with her hand. He could smell oranges on her, that she probably used to make the O. Rind with.

When she let him go he looked down at her, "Why are you making insence?" he asked her in an amused tone of voice.

"Because it smells better this way." she said with a grin. "To make something with your own hands, it makes it all that better and loved no?"

"Then why dont you love our children more?" Percy asked with a sigh.

"Because Jack spit up on me today and Melody grabbed a knife and tried to throw it at the cat. And they dont even appreciate being born!" Riley huffed out.

Percy sighed and shook his head knowing it would be impossible to argue with her.


	9. Poetry

"What are you reading?" Percy asked looking over her shoulder.

"J.R.R Tolkien's poem All That is Gold Does Not Glitter, from his novel The Fellowship of the Ring." she told him letting him look at the cover for a moment while she shifted under his arm.

"That is not English." Percy pointed out looking at the page she opened up to.

"No... it's Latin. Rom gave it to me earlier this week. I can translate it for you if you want." Riley offered.

"Go ahead." he said to her.

"All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire will be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king."

she recited to him.

"Read it to me, the book I mean." Percy asked her.

"You can't understand it, unless I translated it of course." Riley said giving him a look of annoyance.

"I just want to hear you, so read it please."

"Fine! But I'm starting from where I'm at now!" Riley sighed out.

"That's fine." Percy agreed.

"Non omne quod nitet aurem est,

Non omnes vagantes deerant;

Vetum valente non marcet,

Radices profundae gelu non tanguntur.

Ex cinere ignis excitabitur,

Ex tenebris lux saliet;

Lamina fracta renovabitur,

Sine corona rex rursum erit."

Percy was asleep before she finished.


	10. Degrees of Freedom

"Did you know that there are ten Degrees of Freedom?"

Percy looked down at Riley from his spot at his desk and hummed in response before going back to his Transfiguration Paper.

Riley looked up at him from her spot on his bed, the twelve year old scrunched her nose at him and sighed.

"There are!" she protested.

"Aren't we supposed to be studying for your Herbology test?"

"I'm going to fail anyway, and it was either this or I attempt to seduce you with lurid and lude limericks that my dad uses." she said rolling over until her long honey-wheat blonde hair tumbled over the edge of his bed.

"You're twelve!" he said stunned.

"So? Degree Four, Freedom of Stereotypes also Degree Six, Freedom of Age. I'm twelve, not dead. Up until recently, I would be married and expected to have a kid within the next year just because I bleed once a month."

"Must you be so vulgar?" Percy asked her and she shrugged.

"Does it grab your attention?" she asked.

"Yes?" he gave her a sideways look.

"Then yes I do." Percy sighed at this. "Besides I'm more mature than you."

Percy raised his brow at her. "How so?"

"I can say sex without blushing crimson red." Percy flushed. "You can't even hear the word without flushing."

Percy opened his mouth and closed it back when he found he had nothing to say.

"I win!" giggled erupted as she clutched his pillow to her face as Percy gapped at her.


	11. Fight

Percy was resigned to the fact that he wouldn't ever win against Riley.

Not that they've had real fights, only arguments that were mainly minor; parenting styles and housekeeping differences were the main offenders.

But Percy could never win. She would undermine or embarrass him and then flit away before he could finish.

And it wasn't that she didn't see his point, things always changed after he brought things up. Usually in his favor, sometimes in the children's, never in hers.

He supposed she didn't like conflict. Which was confusing since she thrived in fights and chaos.

Luckily Percy was also resigned to the fact that he would never understand Riley.


End file.
